Dead battery OR something else...

[AutoBox]

Oh well I was going to leave my house for school this morning and my camry would not start.
Keyless entry unlocked the doors, put key into ignition turned to nothing. No clicks nada.

Some more background info about my car
gen4 5S-FE camry w/ 76,5XX miles
Inherited my Camry at around 50K miles when my parents bought their new Gen 5.5.
Anyways so my family bought the car new, original owners. All the ignition system is original OEM except for spark plugs and their wires. The battery is the original OEM Panasonic, original alternator, and original starter assembly.

The car sat parked since last evening for about 15 hours.

No doors were left open, trunk was closed, didn't leave interior/exterior lights on, I always shut my headunit off and remove the face. Nothing was left plugged into my cig. lighter socket. I don't have any additional large audio installed or any aftermarket alarm to draw power.

The battery terminals are clean with no corrosion & all connections are tight there. Theres enough water in the battery. My neighbor helped me jump my car with family's other Camry. It started up on the first turn but a bit rough. I let it run idle for about five quick minutes. The radiator fans never came on but the idle seemed normal and steady.

With the car still on, dome light seemed strong, as soon as I turned on my headlights, the engine cut dead. Did turning on the headlights put strain in the electrical system? Or is that a sign that my alternator could be going? All fuses are good.

I know I'm due for a new battery. I'm lucky in a way I got almost 7 years out of this one + the Cams still in my driveways so I'll have access to tools. I plan on dropping in a new battery pronto because of its age. Should I get my alternator or starter checked and tested? I don't have a multimeter to do that DIY. And if it was just my battery that died, should my starter have clicked with the ignition. Could my starter solenoids be faulting?


Thanks

[Dave's]

If jumping it started the car and there's no idiot light then it's probably the battery. But many places (like Sears) will do a complete check while installing your new battery at no cost. While it's common for a weak battery to click when turning the key, it doesn't always happen. Sometimes just cleaning the terminals (even if they seem pristine) will correct what seems like a dead or weak battery but at 7 years you're due. I had a diehard that lasted 8 though.

[bjmn7d]

I would buy a voltmeter from wal-mart (~$15), then check the battery to make sure it is around 12V. Then start, or try to start the car by jumping, and measure the battery potential. If the voltage increases to ~14V, then the alternator is ok and it could be the battery. If voltage remains the same, then the alternator is probably bad. I'm not sure that I would worry about the starter just yet.

[Mike Gerber]

Listen to bjmn7d. He has given you some good advice. The alternator is probably bad, as turning on the lights should not have killed the engine. A good alternator should have kept the car running. First check for a loose alternator belt. It could be as simple as that. If the belt is tight, then get hold of a DVM (digital volt/ohmeter) and check the battery and charging system as bjmn7d has described.

Mike